A member of the homeless camp on the Victoria courthouse lawn is trying to make a case for the camp to remain in place.

“It’s a lot safer than the alternative.”

James Carmichael says the months-long camp provides safety in numbers, adding there are 85 to 100 campers who share in the food and security a homeless person would not receive living alone.

“If you run out of food, there’s no one to share with. If you run into a serious first aid problem, who do you ask, who do you call? If you’re by yourself, and you’re doing a maintenance dose, and there’s no drug addiction services, who’s there to watch you?”

Carmichael adds the picture people are getting of the camp through media reports may not paint a complete picture.

“And I would ask for the people that like to criticize, have they visited tent city? Have they had personal interactions? Because a single interaction might not be enough. I’ve been here for months, and candidly I feel safer here than I do in many other parts of the city with people who are housed.”